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Francesca Woodman

A while ago I watched the documentary, The Woodmans, on Netflix. I’ve been familiar with Francesca Woodman’s photographic work for quite some time, but this film made me feel like I know her better. Her work is so beautiful and I think, for all of her fans, it hurts your heart to see so clearly that she was born before her time. While she was alive she had little recognition, but today she would be a rising star. Her work is so current, but it was shot in the 1970s and early 80s.

I recommend the film–it’s a poignant portrait of her family and their love for Francesca. I bawled my eyes out and wish so much that she was still alive–I know she’d be doing amazing work. I could see her showing in galleries, being a big name for fashion editorials and ads as well. Each member of the Woodman family is remarkable in their own right, too. Check out a preview of The Woodmans.

I recently watched this documentary on Netflix as well! Her work is really stunning and consistently solid. I was sort of amazed by just how much of it there was. Some artists have a lot of work that’s kind of “eh” but a few pieces turn out amazing. With her, it felt like each image hit that sweet spot.

I was also struck by her parents. They seemed so emotionally healthy to me. They were a team but they still lived their lives with a focus on their own development and their need to make art for themselves. So many couples are ripped apart by the loss of a child (understandably) and they seemed to be dealing with it in a very emotionally mature way. It sort of made me wonder… what went wrong with Francesca? She had such an intense desire to be loved and for constant attention. Perhaps the same drive that made her great also made her self destructive, but I wish we could learn from it and find a way to reach people like her before they commit suicide. Who knows what she could have gone on to do if she had found a way to survive with herself.